Isn't He Just a Jonin?
The blade of the Sunagakure jōnin was moments away from striking.
Suddenly, a figure landed in front of Ming Jing with a clatter—the man carried a long iron pot strapped to his back and wielded a thin sword. With a single strike, he blocked the attack, then spun and delivered a powerful kick, sending the jōnin flying.
"You have the nerve to call others disgraceful? In my eyes, the only disgrace here is you—a full-grown jōnin attacking three Genin."
The voice rang with righteous fury. The newcomer was none other than Maruboshi Kosuke, the famed "eternal Genin" of Konoha.
"Grandpa Kosuke, be careful! That guy's a jōnin!" Inuzuka Rui called out in alarm.
Kosuke simply smiled.
"Isn't he just a jōnin? I've slain plenty in my time. Ming Jing, pay attention—this is how the technique works!"
He launched forward, body light and swift like falling petals. His sword blurred, releasing a flurry of shimmering blade arcs that filled the air.
When the assault ended, the special jōnin—whom Ming Jing's team had struggled to subdue—lay unconscious. Only the full-fledged Sunagakure jōnin remained, nursing a wound on his shoulder.
"Damn it... This old man isn't normal... he's stronger than most elite jōnin!" the Suna shinobi spat, swiftly weaving hand seals.
"Wind Release: Land Sand Gale!"
As wind and sand howled forth, he retreated under its cover. Though he could have blocked Kosuke's Water Wall, the injury from earlier—when Kosuke struck while the jōnin tried to shield his comrade—made staying a risk.
Kosuke countered the wind technique with practiced ease.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A vast wall of water surged from his mouth, shielding the team from the jōnin's jutsu.
"Watch yourselves," Kosuke said calmly, "This'll be over soon. I'm going after him—to earn a few more battle merits."
Without waiting for a response, he darted off in pursuit.
Not all jōnin were created equal.
Even in his later years, with a missing leg and aged body, Maruboshi Kosuke retained the combat power of an elite jōnin. And now, in his prime, his strength was terrifying.
"Hah... So this is a jōnin-level battle?" Inuzuka Rui exhaled in awe. "And to think... Mr. Kosuke is that strong."
If he weren't strong, Ming Jing thought, the Second Hokage wouldn't have personally taught him.
Kosuke Maruboshi was, after all, the only shinobi aside from Tobirama Senju capable of performing Water Release with virtually no hand seals—something even Hiruzen Sarutobi found difficult.
If Kosuke had a kekkei genkai or mastered techniques like the Flying Thunder God or the Spirit Transformation Technique, he might've reached Kage-level.
Ming Jing's expression grew serious. "We need to stay cautious. We're still in enemy territory. Avoid jōnin-level threats—target the weak, use our sensory advantages, and keep moving."
His eyes followed the disappearing silhouette of Kosuke.
"Mirror, your eyes!" Rui exclaimed, pointing. "There's another magatama!"
Ming Jing blinked—his Sharingan had evolved into a two-tomoe state. But now wasn't the time for wonder.
"We'll talk later. Stay alert!" he ordered, quickly performing a hemostasis jutsu on his own wounds before picking up his wakizashi and scanning the field.
Aburame Nami and Inuzuka Rui nodded, shifting to formation. They moved through the battlefield with caution, targeting weaker enemies while avoiding unnecessary risks. Their tactics allowed them to clear threats more efficiently.
By dusk, the battle concluded in Konoha's favor.
Both Rasa and Karura were injured in the conflict. If the fight had continued, Orochimaru might have killed Rasa outright. Karura had abandoned her own battle to protect him, sustaining injuries of her own.
Faced with the mounting losses, Chiyo had no choice but to order a retreat.
Sunagakure still had high-level shinobi left, but if they lost both Rasa and Karura, it would signal the collapse of their forces in the Second Shinobi World War.
"It's finally over..." Inuzuka Rui murmured, stroking the blood-stained fur of his ninken, Tetsumaru.
Ming Jing stood beside him, gazing at his twin-tomoe Sharingan reflected in a puddle of bloodied water.
Though injured, he had managed to stop the bleeding with basic treatment. The wounds would hold unless he overexerted himself again.
Dark clouds loomed overhead. Rain poured heavily, mixing with blood and soaking the battlefield.
Medics—many trained by Tsunade—hurried through the rain, carrying the wounded to the rear lines.
"Yes, this is war..." came a voice behind them. "Konoha has sought peace since its founding. From the First Hokage until now... we've always wanted to end war."
Kato Dan stood behind them, his clothes drenched in blood and mud. Though bruised and dirty, he smiled in relief upon seeing his students unharmed.